How We Work
Data Methodology & Transparency Statement
Unveiled is consumer advocacy research. We investigate vendor transparency in the wedding industry and publish our findings to give brides the information they need to make informed decisions. This is how we work.
Section 1: Who We Are and Why This Exists
Unveiled is an independent consumer advocacy platform built for brides. We are not a traditional vendor directory.
Every vendor in our database is researched and listed independently. Vendors do not pay to be listed, and they cannot pay to be removed.
Vendors that meet Unveiled's transparency standards — full pricing disclosure, all fees listed upfront, verified photography from real clients — earn The Unveiled Standard certification. Certified vendors may purchase preferential placement on the platform. Certification requires annual renewal. A vendor cannot buy visibility without first meeting our standards.
Our only loyalty is to the person planning the wedding.
Section 2: How We Research Vendors
Every vendor on Unveiled is researched directly through our proprietary research process. We contact vendors using standard inquiry methods — the same questions any engaged couple would ask. We request pricing, capacity, vendor policies, fee schedules, and any additional charges. We document what vendors disclose voluntarily and what requires repeated follow-up to extract.
Our research process combines multiple methods of information gathering. All information is reviewed before publishing. Where responses are incomplete, ambiguous, or inconsistent with other available information, they are held for additional review before a profile goes live.
Vendors do not know they are being researched for Unveiled.
Section 3: What We Publish and Why
Every vendor profile on Unveiled is built around the information brides actually need before they make a decision — not after.
For every vendor we research, we publish:
- —the real cost — not the “starting at” number from their website, but what a wedding for 50, 100, or 150 guests actually costs all in, fees included.
- —A complete fee breakdown — every additional charge we were able to identify, including service fees, add-on costs, required package upgrades, overtime rates, and any other costs disclosed during our research, so you can see exactly how we got there.
- —Vendor policies — whether the vendor has exclusivity requirements, preferred partner mandates, time constraints, travel requirements, or other restrictions that affect your choices, etc., and what it costs if you don't comply.
- —Key policies — anything else brides consistently get surprised by.
- —A transparency rating — our assessment of how forthcoming the vendor was during our research process.
What we don't publish: anything we can't verify. If a vendor gave us conflicting information, we note the discrepancy rather than guess.
Section 4: How Vendor Profiles Get Updated
Vendor information changes. Pricing increases. Policies shift. Fees get added. Unveiled is only as useful as it is current.
Every vendor profile is reviewed and updated regularly. Updated information replaces outdated information. Where we cannot verify current pricing, we flag the profile so brides know the data may not reflect current rates.
Brides who have toured or booked a vendor can submit updated information directly through the platform. Any bride-submitted information that conflicts with our published data is reviewed before any changes are made. We do not publish unverified corrections.
Our research process includes a high internal accuracy threshold. Any response that falls below that threshold is flagged and held for additional review before it is published. We expect to raise that threshold as our research process matures.
Vendors may also submit their own information directly through the platform. Self-submitted information is held to the same verification standards as our independently researched profiles. Submission does not guarantee favorable treatment or paid placement eligibility. Vendors that submit their own data and wish to be considered for our transparency certification and paid placement program will be evaluated through our standard certification process.
Section 5: How Our Transparency Certification Works
Unveiled's transparency certification is the standard every vendor on this platform is measured against. It is not a participation trophy. It is not purchased. It is earned.
To qualify for transparency certification, a vendor must voluntarily submit complete documentation including all-in pricing, a full breakdown of every fee charged to couples, vendor policies, capacity verification, and photography verified from real weddings. Submissions are reviewed against our independently researched profile for that vendor. Discrepancies are investigated before certification is granted.
Certified vendors receive The Unveiled Standard designation on their profile in one of three tiers — gold, silver, or bronze — based on how completely they meet our certification requirements. Certification is reviewed annually. Vendors that no longer meet our standards lose their certification.
Certified vendors may purchase preferential placement on the Unveiled platform. Placement is available only to certified vendors. Paying for placement does not influence a vendor's rating, reviews, or the information published on their profile. A vendor with paid placement and The Unveiled Standard has met our standards. A vendor without it has not.
Uncertified vendors remain in our database. Brides can see them, research them, and make their own decisions. We just won't put them at the top.
Section 6: How Paid Placement Works
Unveiled is free for brides. It is also a business.
Vendors that have earned transparency certification may purchase preferential placement on the platform. This means certified vendors can pay to appear higher in search results, in featured listings, and in recommendations made by our AI planning assistant.
Here is what paid placement does: it puts a certified vendor in front of more brides.
Here is what paid placement does not do: it does not change a vendor's rating, alter the information on their profile, suppress negative reviews, or influence how we describe them. A certified vendor with paid placement is presented accurately — the same as any other vendor on the platform. It just gets seen first.
Every paid placement is clearly labeled. Brides always know when a result is sponsored.
Vendors that lose their transparency certification lose their paid placement immediately. No exceptions.
Section 7: What We Don't Do
Unveiled does not accept commissions, referral fees, or kickbacks from vendors when a bride books through our platform.
Unveiled does not accept payment in exchange for favorable ratings, positive reviews, or suppression of negative information.
Unveiled does not allow vendors to edit, remove, or influence the independently researched information on their profile.
Unveiled does not sell bride data to vendors or any third party.
If a vendor contacts us asking to be removed from the platform, we will consider the request. We will not remove a vendor simply because they dislike what we've published about them.
Section 8: A Note on Accuracy
All information published on Unveiled is gathered directly through our research process. We publish what vendors tell us.
We make every reasonable effort to verify the information we gather. Occasionally, despite our best efforts, information may be incomplete or may change after we publish. When that happens, we want to know.
If you believe a vendor profile contains inaccurate information — whether you are a bride who has toured or booked with a vendor, or a vendor that believes something was recorded incorrectly — you can report it here. [LINK TBD] We investigate every report. Corrections that are verified get made promptly.
What we will not do: remove accurate information because a vendor finds it unflattering.
Section 9: How to Report Inaccurate Information
Unveiled is only as good as the information in it. We want to know when something is wrong.
If you are a bride who has toured or booked a vendor and the pricing, policies, or fees listed on Unveiled don't match what you were actually quoted — tell us. Your real experience is more valuable than anything we gathered over the phone.
If you are a vendor and you believe information on your profile was recorded inaccurate — tell us. We will investigate. If we made a mistake, we will correct it promptly. If our information accurately reflects what your staff disclosed during our research, we will tell you that too.
To submit a correction or dispute: [LINK TBD]
What we need from you: the vendor name, the specific information you believe is inaccurate, and what the correct information is. Supporting documentation — quotes, contracts, invoices — speeds up our review.
We do not remove accurate information because it is unflattering. We do not suppress negative data because a vendor requests it. We correct mistakes. That's it.